Improvement in means for preventing reverberations in public halls



J. P. TAY LOR.

Means for Preventin g Reverherations in Public Hal Patented Feb. 10,1874.

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IMPROVEMENT IN MEANS FOR PREVENTING REVERBERATIONS IN PUBLIC HALLS- Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 147,294, dated February 10, 1874; application filed December 15, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osnrn P. TAYLOR, of New Brighton, Beaver county, Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Preventing Iteverberations in Churches, Public Halls, and other Structures, of which the following is a specification:

My improvement in preventing reverberations in structures of the kind referred to, and generally in any building, hall, or room detective in this regard, consists in interposing between the speakers stand, or the point from which the sound emanates, and the reverberant or sound-reflecting surface, a barrier of line wires, constituting in some sort a screen, or a breaksound, as it may be termed, which, while allowing the sound to pass or sii't tl'irough, will break up the sound-waves to such an extent as to prevent their impulses from acting on the reflecting-surface of the roof, walls, or other part, in such manner as to produce confusing reverberations. It is, of course, not possible to state positively that the prevention of the reverberation is due to the breaking up of sound-waves; this is my theory of the principle of action of the screen, inasmuch as I have supposed the wires act in the same way to break up the soundwaves as piles driven at inter *als apart in the water act to break up the waves there 5 but whatever be the rationale of the process, the result at tained is marked and very satisfactory.

The principle of the invention lies, as before said, in the interposition of a screen or barrier of time wires between the point from which the sound emanates and the reflecting or reverberant surface.

The arrangement of the wires that compose the break-sound or barrier may be varied to a great extent, this being governed by the shape of the reflecting-surface and its location with respect to the speakers stand. So, too, the wires may be arranged horizontally or vertieally, or at right angles with one another, and in a plane either vertical or at an angle to the vertical.

In the aceompanyin g drawing, I have represented one arrangement which will illustrate the principle of my invention.

The figure represents a transverse vertical section of a Gothic roof. From one side to the be innin at to other of the open arch of the roof are stretched wires A, extending in a vertical plane from the top of the arch to the eorbels. The speakers stand may be supposed to be this side of the wires, the reflecting-surface on the other side of or beyond the wires. The arrangement shown is substantially such as I have applied with complete success in the church of St. Paul, Brunswick, Maine. In that building the echo or reverberation was exceptionally troublesome. The church consists of nave, transept, and chancel, and, in order to de stroy the reverberation I caused wires to be stretched, as represented in the drawing, across the open arches, at the intersection of the transept and nave, and also across a portion of each of the several arches of the nave,

In this way the reverberation, before so annoying, was quite destroyed. The wire may be placed at varying distances apart. I have found that placing them at intervals from two to three inches will give good results; but this interval can be much increased without departure from my invention.

The wire should be, preferably, annealed, and should be of fine gauze, so that it may not be noticeable from the floor of the building, and I would say further, in this regard, that I have found by far the best and most perfect results are produced by the employment of this fine wire.

More than one screen can be employed, if desired.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The mode herein described of preventing or destroying reverberations in churches, halls, and other structures, the same consisting in interposing between the speakers stand, or the point from which the sound emanates, and the reflecting or reverberant surface, a'barrier or break-sound ot' fine wires, substantially in the manner set forth.

In testimony whereot'l have hereunto signed my name this 13th day of December, A. .l). 1873.

JOSEPH l. TAYLOR.

Witnesses 2 S. (l. DUNIIAM, OuAs. M. JOSLYN. 

